Ahead of this week’s big library opening, former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura sat down for an interview with hard-hitting Parade magazine, one of the few publications with the guts to pursue such important stories as “Laura Linney: I Feel ‘Peaceful About Aging'” and “9 Tips for a Successful Game Break With the Family.”
They spoke a little bit about their “normal” life in Dallas, and Mr. Bush said he believes the world is safer now than it was before 9/11. But they were also asked about what the Republican Party should do to better position itself to reclaim the White House in 2016.
Brother Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, got the Bush family endorsement as the best prospective candidate.
Is the country—I mean this respectfully—ready for another Bush? We’re not a dynastic nation.
GB: That’s for Jeb to figure out, you know what I mean? [laughs] I would hope that people would judge [him], if Jeb were to run, on his merits and his track record. They may or may not. I used to say when I was running for governor, I inherited half my dad’s friends and all his enemies. And therefore I had to work hard to convince the other half of his friends that I’d be all right and peel off a few enemies. So I hope he will run.
If the GOP is looking to change its image, to reach out to voters who feel alienated from the party, what kind of message would it send with another Bush as its leader?
